Pitter Patter || Bucky Barnes

chapter 9

You held you hand out as you pushed open the door to the robotics room. Tony kept his head down but Steve's eye rose straight up. Steve noticed you two holding hands, which immediately made you let go. You nudged Bucky to go up to Steve. Bucky slowly crept towards Steve, not breaking eye contact.

"Hey Buck," Steve reached out for a hug.

Bucky wrapped around Steve as much as he could, but Steve couldn't help but notice the missing appendage. Steve gave Bucky a reassuring look and it melted your heart. Their friendship was indescribable. When they spoke it was like the seventy years had never passed and they were both two kids in Brooklyn again. They turned away into the corner and started talking about something, but you left them to that. They both would look back at you every few second, and it made you a little curious as to what they were up to.

You heard clanking behind you so you walked up to Tony who was fooling with something in a box.

"Is that the-" you started to say.

"New bio-mechanically engineered super arm that was even better than the last one? Yes, it is," Tony interrupted. "Come look", he told you as he gestured you to come closer.

You stumbled to the other side of the table to see something weird. It was a different arm.

"This wasn't the one you showed me before," you questioned.

"I know, the other one was nice and shiny, but I thought Bucky Boy would like a change. I've come far in the technology aspect of things, so I thought I'd take it a step further. This could be the next thing in amputation solutions." He reached inside and picked up the arm to give you a better look.

It definitely was different than his last one. It didn't look like it was made of metal at all. You reached out to touch it. It was soft and fleshy. It felt like real arm, and it looked like one too. If there weren't wires sticking out of the top, you would have started to think that Tony has had Bucky's arm in this box the whole time and it kind of freaked you out.

"It comes with neuroreceptors that will give him the sense of touch. It's quite exquisite if you ask me. Tin man has already gotten a new heart thanks to you, so I'm giving him a new arm and I think he will be quite pleased with the performance," he smirked as he placed the arm back in the box and looked up at you.

Bucky has a new heart thanks to you? You never knew what Tony was walking about ninety percent of the time, but you knew he meant something by this. Before you could say anything, Steve walked over. Bucky followed and went to the other side of the table, next to you.

"Are you ready for this Bucky?" Steve said excitedly.

"I guess so," Bucky grinned and looked over at you. He was nervous, and you could tell. You rested a hand on his back and nodded to Tony.

Tony lifted the arm out of the box once more and placed it on the counter. Bucky froze at the sight of it. For once, you couldn't read his face. He could have been really excited about his new arm, or petrified at the thought that it might have been a real arm.

"It's got fingernails and everything. It's right out of Star Wars- oh wait...nevermind. Um..it's technology of the future for sure," you giggled, trying to reassure Bucky.

He smiled from hearing your annoying giggle, and looked up at Tony. He paused, remembering that he didn't have to say anything to Tony, but you felt he was going to go for it.

"Um, when can I, uh...I mean is it ready to-" Bucky started.

"Yeah it's ready. Heck, we could slap it on you right now if you wanted to. We could-" Tony began getting riled up. He was a little too excited about his new fleshy arm for your liking, but you shrugged it off.

Steve stopped Tony before he kept going, "but we have been thinking about it and it might be best to try tomorrow after you've had a night's rest. If you're willing, that is."

Bucky looked back down at the arm again and sighed. He grabbed your hand that was on his back and held it softly under the table. Tony squinted his eyes at you and you shook your head back at him. Luckily, Bucky didn't notice. Bucky looked up at you and his bright blue eyes were communicating with you. He wanted to go along with it, but he was afraid. You squeezed his hand and curled your mouth a little.

"Yeah. Let's do it," Bucky nodded at Tony and then at Steve.

Steve's face lit up at his friend. He was so happy for Buck. He was glad to see progress in him, especially since he waited so long to see it.

"We'll see you tomorrow morning then?" Steve asked, securing the plan.

Bucky and you nodded in sync and started to head out of the room. As you were walking out, you stopped Buck for a second.

"I need to ask Steve something real fast. Wait here."

You scurried over to Steve and pulled him into the corner where he and Bucky were talking before.

"So I'm curious as to what were you and Bucky were saying before? Why did you guys keep looking at me? It was kind of weirding me out-" you whispered but Steve cut you off.

"(Y/N)," he laughed quietly, bowing his head so it was closer to your ear. "We weren't saying anything bad about you, don't worry."

"Then what were you taking about?" you eagerly questioned.

Steve just shook his head. "All I can say is that.." Steve paused while glancing back at Bucky, and then to you,"..you two would look really cute together."

Steve started laughing loudly and Bucky took notice. You hope he wasn't listening to any of this. Your cheeks flushed as you hit Steve on the shoulder. Tony looked back and huffed at Steve's guffaws.

"I hate you," you jokingly said to Steve as you turned away to the door.

"Not as much as you hate the fact you can't run your hands through his hair all day," Steve teased.

You turned a whole new shade of pink as you closed the door behind you, hearing Steve's voice echo through the corridor.